The Other POV

As I loaded the rest of my pics, I realized this is gonna disappoint the rest of my family because I really didn't take that many family pics this year. Once I saw Ruth taking her many shots, I think I relaxed a bit and realized I didn't always have to be the chronicler!

When we make the long 850-mile drive from Atlanta to the family cottage, we all mark it by the milestones: the first one is the fireworks' store just outside of Chattanooga, TN. Then there's Nashville, Louisville, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne...and then...

...Grand Ledge, where we all grew up and where Mom and Dad are buried. We always stop by the cemetery going up, usually around 6-7a. It's a lovely, quiet time of the day to "remember." My brother, John, who still lives there, is the caretaker of the plot. Thank you, John and Sandy!

Then we're in the "stome hetch." It's another 50 miles to the cottage on Horseshoe Lake!

In random order, as the pics loaded on the page...here's Uncle Don "working" the paper.

Cousin Paul is one of THE photographers from whom Ruth and I learn. This was before the fireworks when he was doing "ghost" shots of Sydney and Casey. I learned a lot just by observing!

Off-n-on I made my Origami cranes, which I started making in 2004. There will be 365 of them when I'm through (from a page-a-day calendar), which I plan to make into a mobile.
This is when I realize my hands are much older than I feel (most of the time)!
(Thanks for taking the pic, Ruth!)

Sometimes the best and quietest moments at the cottage are spent on the deck. I'm not sure what Uncle Don was looking at but since there are only trees over there, maybe it was a falling limb or...bird. Ruth and I both used our laptops to sort through our daily pics.

In the midst of the family hub-bub, only-child Dennis was able to sneak some moments with his fiancee, Amy (my daughter!). I wonder if he survived our big family??? He better get used to it, since he's marrying into it (poor thing)!!!

Aunt Wilma and daughter, Stacy, show us that there's more than one way to get across the lake.

You better believe that the third generation of cousins is very important to us!!! There were 40 of us at the cottage throughout the weekend, 12 of whom are children of our children!

Dennis and Amy challenged Donica and me to Spades! Over the course of 2 days, I won't say who won, but Donica and I aren't gloating because we know the challenge will continue.

There's nothing like the back porch to tell you what's happening at the cottage or what time of the year it is! It'll look entirely different at the next reunion between Christmas and New Year's. That's one of the things I like about that special place in all our hearts.

For those of you who visit my photoblog, today I'm starting a 12-day series of cottage pics, many of which are different from these here. Check them out, if you wish.

Another year, another reunion. How do they possibly come and go so quickly! You tell me!

Got Bikes?

If you didn't know this already, Amsterdam is a city of bikes! The canal-ring in city center actually has more registered bikes than cars! But that's because you can navigate and park your bike much easier than a car on the narrow streets!

Here are some random impressions:

Sometimes it's the color that grabs my attention!

Sometimes it's where you find it!

Or the size of it.

Or its silhouette against the picturesque canals.

One reason to NOT have a bike is all the flat tires you will invariably get. Or the fact you have as good a chance as the next guy to have it stolen! It's still a better "problem" than having a car!
For the time being, because we're there only half the year, we've decided it's not worth the hassle to get our own bikes, in case anyone is asking.


Ooops! See what I mean! Don't know if the tire was stolen or if the rider took it with him so the bike wouldn't be stolen??

Down but never out!

Flower power is very much alive and well in Amsterdam!


And there's always more than one way to skin the cat!

If you come back from a trip via train (that's the train station in the background that takes us to and from the airport!), and you want to park your car bike "safely," you can use the parking deck, of course. With thousands of bikes there, however, make sure you remember what tier, column and row!

In my last post I mentioned that Donica and I were flying back to Atlanta today for just the weekend. It's true. She flew on Delta and I flew on KLM, arriving at Passport Control at exactly the same time!. Donica's mom's 67th birthday was yesterday and we'll be home to celebrate it on Sunday, before Donica flies back to A'dam and before I fly back on Monday!

Talk about a whirlwind. But it's better than riding bikes back-n-forth! :)

ADDENDUM (Sunday 6/3/07): Donica was able to change my frequent-flyer flight back to Amsterdam for today instead of tomorrow. So we leave the house by 10a to go celebrate Mom's birthday and then both leave on separate planes around 5p for over the pond. At least we're both going back at the same time!